However, when the student arrived at the airport she said the airline refused to let Pebbles on the plane. Aldecosea said she did not have many options since her family was in Florida and her friends were hours away. The student claimed a Spirit employee suggested she either flush Pebbles down the toilet or let the animal free.

“She was scared. I was scared. It was horrifying trying to put her in the toilet,” Aldecosea said. “I was emotional. I was crying. I sat there for a good 10 minutes crying in the stall.”

The student said she considered letting Pebbles run free outside but could not bear thinking of her hamster freezing to death or getting hit.

“I didn’t have any other options,” she said.

In the end, the distraught 21-year-old did what she thought was best – performing a ritual mercy killing in a public restroom.

Spirit Airlines admits an employee mistakenly told Aldecosea she could bring Pebbles on the flight, but adamantly denies that anyone ever suggested flushing the rodent down the toilet.